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A Character By Any Other Name

I tend to rename my characters several times during the first draft… and I usually retitle my books as well. Ordinary Angels started out life as Angel In Blue Shorts. In that book, Alexander had originally been called Andrew (after the patron saint of Scotland) but a run-in with a friend’s asshole husband (who bore the same monicker) ruined that one. Zoë Pendergraft was originally Petula...

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WAG #9 Mocking the Cherry

This week’s exercise was: “WAG #9: Warning!” Last week the topic was to make something ugly sound beautiful, so this time let’s do the opposite! Choose an unfamiliar object (in other words, one you have no history with) that strikes you as beautiful, appealing, or somehow desirable etc… some ideas might be: a child, a sunset, an attractive shop window, a scenic view, a piece of art, an...

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Writing Adventure Group: Results #8 / Instructions #9

WAG #8 Results and WAG #9 instructions below. All are welcome to join next week’s adventure! The theme for the Writing Adventure Group #8 was “Rose Colored Glasses“. I’m excited to see we have several new names on the list this time! Don’t forget! The Writing Adventure Group is on Facebook.  Join us there too, and get weekly reminders so you never miss an adventure. For those who...

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Round-up

I follow quite a few writer and agent blogs, and there have been some particularly interesting things going on this week: Literary Agent Jenny Rae Rappaport posted An Anatomy of a Royalty Statement, further explaining author Lynn Viehl’s blog post about her earnings as a NYT bestselling author. It’s been a fascinating week over at Agent Nathan Bransford’s blog. If you are looking for an...

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Writing Adventure Group: Results #7 / Instructions #8

WAG #7 Results and WAG #8 instructions below. All are welcome to join next week’s adventure! The theme for the Writing Adventure Group #7 was “Imaginings“. Don’t forget! The Writing Adventure Group is on Facebook.  Join us there too, and get weekly reminders so you never miss an adventure. For those who participated, please cut and paste the links below (and instructions for next week, if...

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Secrets – WAG#7

WAG #7 Instructions: “Imaginings” This one is people-watching with a twist.  Observe a stranger and sketch a brief background for them, including a secret. Then describe why they are in that particular place at that particular time (where you ran into them) and how it will affect their future. Feel free to be creative, but don’t forget to describe the concrete reality that made you pick them in the...

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What Do You Tweet About?

I am a sucker for stats. I suppose it’s because I have so many websites. I won’t tell you how many; it would make both of us blush, and we don’t want that. For example I find it interesting that people have found NixyValentine.com by searching for the phrases “word meters”, “the artistic temperment”, and “where do ideas come from”. I find it interesting...

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Agent for a Day

I was torn about joining in Nathan Bransford’s Agent for a Day game because I was so burned out on the whole #queryfail and #agentfail debacles. (And yes, in my humble opinion, they were debacles.) Having thought before that being an agent’s reader would be a dream job, I thought I’d go ahead and try my hand, and see how it went. I did decide, by the way, to put my real name on my...

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Research

One of the things that WAG has helped me see, is that there is nothing like actually looking at a place… feeling it, smelling it, and being in the middle of it… to help a writer set a scene. Yesterday I went to Aberlemno where there are some beautiful examples of Pictish stones and also to Restenneth Priory, which was built by the king of the Picts in about 715 AD. (Both places are just outside...

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Writing Adventure Group: Results #6 / Instructions #7

WAG #6 Results and WAG #7 instructions below. All are welcome to join next week’s adventure! The theme for the Writing Adventure Group #6 was “Overheard”. Don’t forget! The Writing Adventure Group is on Facebook.  Join us there too, and get weekly reminders so you never miss an adventure. For those who participated, please cut and paste the links below (and instructions for next week,...